Knitting method and machine



1966 J. J. MILLAR 3,269,148

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filednot. 25, 1962 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 INVENTOR. FIG 7 JOHN J. MgLLAR ATTORNEYS 30, 1956 J. J. MILLAR 3,269,148

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed 001:. 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (D Vi il- 1 FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

I I INVENTOR.

JOHN J MlLLAR i) I I ATTORNEY;

Aug. 30, 1966 J. J.- MILLAR KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 25, 1962 D n i U U INVENTOR. JOHN J. MILLAR ATTOR NEYS.

1966 J. J. MILLAR v 3,269,148

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Oct. 23, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTO R N BY 3 United States Patent This invention relates to the multifeed knitting of stockings and to the method and machine for producing the same, and has particular reference to the formation of heel and toe pockets. 1

The multifeed knitting of stockings has the particular advantage of speeding up the rate of production. At first, rotary knit portions of stockings were produced by multifeed knitting, but reciprocatory knitting of heel and toe pockets was carried out single feed. Later, two-feed knitting of heels and toes was effected and is now in widespread use, having the advantages of further speeding up production, particularly since reciprocatory knitting must generally be carried out at a lower rate of operation than rotary knitting. Lawson Patent 2,440,280 and McDonough Patent 2,576,962 show the basic aspects of multifecd knitting, including such knitting of heel and toe pockets, and reference may be made thereto for background information in conncction with the present invention. 1

The conventional two-feed pockets, however, are characterized by the presence of enlarged and somewhat irregular eyelet loops in the gores, giving an appearance to the stocking which it not fullysatisfactory. It is the general object of the present invention to provide stockings having an improved appearance at the pockets, with elimination of the enlarged eyelet loops.

In brief, the invention involves the production of heel and/or toe pockets formed, in contrast with the usual sequence of first narrowing and then widening, a sequence of operation in which initiation, at least, of the pockets is by widening, followed, if desired for the sake of appearance, by narrowing. This final narrowing is not necessary, but it may be desirable, in the formation of a pocket of adequate extent, to avoid having the pocket, usually reinforced, appear above the shoe line. The achievement of the foregoing general objcct, as well as other objects of the invention, particularly relating to details of the stocking and of the method and machine for producing the same will become apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the foot portion of a stocking produced in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagram illustrating a typical layout of needle butts of different lengths;

FIGURES 3 to 6, inclusive, are developments of the ncedlecontrolling cams and other elements used in accordance with the invention, these figures indicating the paths of needle butts for various phases of the operation:

FIGURE 7 is a diagram illustrative of the sequence of operations involved in the formation of a pocket; and

FIGURE 8 is a diagram showing the stitch formations involved at the junctions between rotary and reciprocatory knit portions of a stocking.

The parts of a two-feed circular knitting machine involved particularly in the invent-ion will be first described with reference to FIGURES 2 to 6, inclusive. It will be understood that the matters about to be described are embodied in quite conventional two-feed machines which are weli-known' and exemplified by the patents referred to above, so that the description need ice not be burdened with reference to conventional details.

The machine may be assumed to be of rotary cylinder type, with the usual provisions for effecting rotation and reciprocation of the needle cylinder, controls of conventional type being used.

Latch needles 2 provided with butts 4 are slid-able in slots in the necdle cylinder 6 and cooperate with sinkers 8, operated in usual fashion, for the production of stitches. Not shown, since they play no part in the achievement of the results of the present invention are jacks and other elements which may be conventionally used for the production of tuck or float patterns in the fabric. The needles may also be associated with the usual elements for the production of turned welts.

The butts 4 of the needles are of different length as indicated particularly in FIGURE 2. To indicate relative lengths of the needle butts, their representations in this figure have associated with them figures in parentheses which indicate typical butt lengths, the butts being differentiated in the desired fashion to provide selectivity of operation. Howcver, the butts may be provided with additional d-iiferentiations in length for additional purposes. Groups of instep needles are indicated at 10, 12 and 12', and, as will appear, the differentiation of these needles is for the production of toes which are to be looped below the foot. The sole needles are provided by the groups 14, 14' and 16, the differentiation being to form heels.

Two feeding stations are provided, the first being indicated generally at 18 and involving the throat 20 together with yarn feeding fingers 22 of which only one is illustrated. The second feed is indicated at 24 and involves the throat 26 together with feeding fingers 28. As is usual, multiple fingers may be used at both feeds to effect yarnchanges involving, for exam-pie, the introduction of yarn heavier than leg yarn for the formation of heels and toes. I

The two feeds share, for economy of circumferential space, what is structurally a single cam 30 which, however, provides the respective stitch earns 32 and 34 for the two feeds. Cam 32 serves as the forward cam for the feed 18, and cam 34 serves as the reverse stitch cam 'for feed 24. The cam 30 is provided with wings 36 and 38 and with notches 40 and 42.

The forward stitch cam, for the second feed is shown at 44, and the re verse stitch cam for the first feed at 46. A landing cam 48 is provided with a rise 50 for raising needles to tuck level, and this is followed by a cam 52 for clearing. The second feed forward stitch cam is associated with a landing cam 54 which is followed by a cam 56 for raising needles to tuck level. This is followed by a radially movable'switch cam 58 arranged to raise needles to inactive level. During reverse stroke needles are raised, following the second feed, by cam 60 to tuck level and then by cam 62 to cleared level. Landing cam 64 is associated with stitch cam 46, and following this in the reverse direction is the cam 66 far raising the needles to tuck level. Pickers 68 and 70 are provided for raising needles during reciprocatory knitting as here after described. A lowering picker 72 may be received in a notch 74 in a cam 75, and cooperates with cams 76 and 78 in the restoration of inactive needles to active operation. A needle lowering cam 80 and a needle raising cam 82 are provided.

As is usual, various of the cams described are radially or axially movable for various purposes; but movability for purposes of carrying out the present invention may be best described when the operation is considered.

Operation in the production of the stocking will be clearer from a preliminary description of the ultimate general structure of the stocking 84 which is produced. The

upper part of this stocking may be conventional and need not be described, though it may be assumed to have the usual turned welt and shadow welt preceding the leg 86. The pertinent aspects of the invention begin at the initiation of heel knitting, and the last rotary knit course of the leg is indicating at 88. The heel 90 is then started with reciprocatory knitting with widening up to the point 92 corresponding to the reciprocatory course 94, thus delimiting the widened portion 96 of the heel. Following this there may be narrowing, if desired, to provide the narrowed portion 98, also formed by reciprocatory knitting. The lines drawn across the heel are to designate generally the directions in which courses lie in the finished boarded stocking.

Rotary knitting is then resumed with the course as indicated at 99 to produce the foot 100 of the stocking.

As indicated, the narrow portion 98 of the heel need not necessarily be produced; however, if the heel is wide, and is extended sufficiently lengthwise, continued widening might result in causing the forward corners of the heel to project so far upwardly into the instep as to raise them above the normal line of a shoe and produce an unsightly appearance. By passing to a narrowing condition, this is avoided while still providing forward extension of the heel portion of the stocking which is generally desirably produced by using yarns heavier than those of the leg.

When the location for the production of the toe is reached, it is desirable to substitute heavier yarns for those used at both feeds to produce by rotary knitting the ring toe 104 preceding the toe proper 102. The ring toe may comprise any desired number of courses, being knit twofeed. While the toe may be formed on the sole needles, it is generally desirable to form it on the instep needles so that the looping will be on the underside of the stocking. Accordingly, only a small panel of instep needles begins the reciprocatory knitting of the toe, the first course of the toe being indicated at 106. Widening is then carried out, as in the case of the heel formation, to provide a widened toe portion 107. The widening is terminated at 108, and then narrowing is begun, if desired, to form the narrowed portion 110. Rotary knitting is then resumed to provide the loopers courses at 111, and the toe'pocket is then finished by the usual looping at 112 with trimming off of excess fabric. While all of the parts of the stock ing so far described may be produced two feed, it is advantageous to produce the loopers courses single feed as described in McDonough Patent No. 2,971,358, dated February 14, 1961.

In accordance with the invention not only are the toe and heel pockets produced in novel fashion, but one of the major advantages of so doing is to produce at the junctions 114 and 116 stitch formations which involve only small loops without producing the appearance of enlarged eyelets such as are characteristic if two feed heels and toes are knitted in conventional fashion, i.e., with a sequence of narrowing followed by widening.

While the novel heel and toe pockets might seem on first consideration to produce restricted pouches as compared with conventional practice, this is not the case when these pockets extend sufficiently lengthwise of the stocking.

When a thermoplastic yarn such as nylon is used, the

conventional boarding operation will provide shaping and setting of the stitches so that highly satisfactory and adequate pockets result. The courses of the pockets run in somewhat unusual directions, but this is not at all objectionable.

The operation of a machine in providing the stocking may now be described, starting with consideration of FIGURE 3.

During the rotary knitting of the leg the needles pass through the cam from right to left. Entering along the tuck level path 118, they are cleared by the rise at 120 and are then depressed by cam 36 and cam 32 along the path 122 to take yarn at the first feed 18 and draw stitches. They are then raised to cleared level at 124 over cams 50 and S2 and are depressed by cam 44 along path 126 to take yarn at the second feed 24 and draw stitches thereof. They are then raised successively by cams 54 and 56 to the tuck level path 128 which is continuous with 118. Thus, two-feed knitting of the leg takes place in quite conventional fashion. This may be modified, of course, to provide tuck or fioat patterns by jack selection, as usual.

During the last cylinder revolution prior to the beginning of heel knitting the usual main cam drum is advanced to produce the following sequence of operations:

As the needles 16 having the shortest butts (.240) are passing the location of cam 58, theretofore out of action, this cam is moved inwardly to a sufiicient extent to miss lifting these needles but engage all of the other needles which are raised by it to the high inactive level 132 by following the path 130. The needles preceding the needles 16 together with the needles 16 will have passed through the cams at both feeds, providing the last course of ro tary knitting terminating with knitting on the needles 16. During the passage of the needles of group 16 past the feeds, yarn changes are effected in usual fashion, removing the leg yarns and substituted heavier yarns for the formation of the heel. The machine clutch is shifted from rotary to reciprocatory drive.

As the cylinder reaches the end of its forward, rundown stroke, all needles except needles 16 will have been raised to inactive level and the switch cam 58 is withdrawn. At the end of the cylinder stroke the needles in group 16 are at the front of the machine and the dropper pick 72 is permitted to rise to its active position in usual fashion. Cam 60, theretofore inactive, is moved in to the cylinder so as to be engageable by all needles. The inactive needles following the path 132 retain their loops in usual fashion.

Reference may now be made to FIGURE 4 which illus= trates the operations in the first reverse cylinder stroke. At the beginning of this stroke, the needles of the group 14, at the level 132, will start at a position-to the left of the dropper pick 72, as viewed in the figure. The needles of group 16 will be in the tuck level path 136. The two leading needles of the group 14 will engage and be lowered by the pick 72 along the path 138 to the path 140. The remaining inactive needles will continue on the path 132. The needles of group 16 enter the left of FIG- URE 4 and move upwardly at 142 over the stitch cam to be cleared. Here they are joined by the two needles of group 14 which have been picked down.

The first needle of the group 16 will not have been preceded by any other active needlcs,.and will accordingly engage, and be lifted by, the picker 70 along the path 144 so as to be placed with the inactive group in path 132. The remaining needles of the group 16 and the two lowered needles of group 14 now follow the path 146 and are depressed along path 148 by earns 38 and 34 to take yarn at the second feed 24 and draw stitches thereof. They are then raised to cleared height by earns 60 and 62 to be again lowered along path 152 by cam 46 to take and draw stitches from the yarn at the first feed 18. Following this they are raised to tuck level along path 154 by cam 66, winding up on path 136. At the end of the stroke the active needles of group 16 are located beneath the lowering pick 72. The result is to knit two pocket courseswith widening of the pocket by one needle wale. The last results from the fact that two needles are lowered into action and one needle is removed from action.

FIGURE 5 illustrates what occurs during a forward stroke in the widening operation. The group of active needles, located in the path 156, are led in the forward stroke by two needles of the group 14 which were picked down in the preceding reverse stroke. All of these active needles are raised to clearing level at 158, and the leading needle, one of group 14, engages the picker 68 and is raised to the inactive path 132 along the path 160.

At the beginning of the forward stroke the needles of group 16 were below the picker 72 and the needles of group 14 were to the right of this picker. In the reverse stroke the leading inactive needle will be that of group 16 adjacent to the group 14' which was picked up as already described by pick 70. This and the first needle of the group 14' will now be moved downwardly by pick 72 along path 162 to the path 164, and these needles will join the active needles, at the end of the active group, over the cam 46. The active needles then follow the path shown which, through the knitting cam, is the same as that shown and described with reference to FIGURE 3; i.e., the active needles take the yarns at both feeds to draw stitches.

The operations just described with reference to FIG- URES 4 and 5 are repeated as long as desired. The result is that two partial courses are produced during each stroke. During each stroke, furthermore, there is a net addition of one needle to the active group as a result of the picking down into action of two needles and the lifting out of action of one needle. It may be noted, however, that in a complete stroke the needle which is picked upwardly is not one of the pair picked downwardly: the upward picking removing a needle from action involves the leading needle of the active group; whereas the needles which are picked down into action join the trailing end of the active group.

It may be notedthat as a result of the operations described, since two feed knitting is involved, the successive courses embody a sequence of two formed of yarn at one feed and then two formed of yarn at the other feed. This is, of course, characteristic of two feed knitting in reciprocatory fashion.

After the desired number of widening courses are knit, the main drum is advanced and the dropping pick 72 is moved downwardly to its inactive position. Assuming that a narrowed area of the heel is now to be formed, operation continues just as described with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5 with the exception that needles are not added to the active group by downward picking. The raising of needles by the pickers 68 and 70, however, continues, so that the result is the net removal of one needle during each stroke. This results in narrowing.

At the completion of the knitting of the heel pocket the main cam drum is again advanced to resume rotary knitting, and what occurs may be described with reference to FIGURE 6.

At the completion of the last reverse stroke, and during the initial part of the forward stroke (which will be continued as rotary knitting) as the active needles pass its position the cam 80 is moved inwardly to lower all the remaining inactive needles from path 132 along path 166 to join the active needles along path 168. The machine clutch is now shifted to effect rotary drive. As the needles of the group 16 pass through the feeds 18 and 24 the heavier yarns previously knitting the heel pockets are withdrawn and the lighter yarns which form the leg are reintroduced with the conventional overlap. After all of the inactive needles are lowered the cam 80 is withdrawn. At the same time, if desired (as dictated by other operations which are not here of significance) cams involved only in reciprocatory knitting, such as stitch cam 46 and cam 60 may be withdrawn. In FIGURE 6 the stitch cam 46 is indicated as withdrawn, clearing in the forward direction being effected by cam 62. However, in other cases, the cam 46 may remain in action, effecting merely a higher level of clearing than cam 62. It will be noted that the sequence of operations on the needles through the knitting cams is now, from the standpoint of events, the same as that illustrated in FIGURE 3 so that rotary knitting now continues with seizure of yarns and formation of stitches at both feeds.

If the toe pocket is to be formed, as illustrated herein, on instep needles, there is one difference between the rotary foot knitting and the leg knitting: at the completion of the oscillatory heel knitting, when the machine clutch is shifted for rotary knitting of the foot, the timing of the shift is such that the cylinder is rotated relative to the position which is occupied during leg knitting with respect to the drive. This shift of the needle cylinder is conventional in effecting knitting so that the toe closure is at the bottom of the stocking.

After completion of the rotary knitting of the foot, the main cam drum is advanced during the passage of the needles of group 16 through the feeds and yarn fingers are changed with substitution of heavier yarns for the lighter yarns, with overlap, in the usual fashion. The rotary knitting is continued for a few courses to form the reinforced ring toe.

At the end of formation of the ring toe the main cam drum is again advanced to produce the following actions During the last cylinder revolution, cam 58 is moved inwardly during the passage of the needles of group 10 suficiently far to raise only the .390 butt needles to the inactive path 132. As the needles of this group 12 pass its position, earn 82 is moved in to the cylinder under these raised needles, and as the cylinder continues rotation, this calm raises to inactive position the needles of the group 14, 16 and 14'. The needles of group 12' are raised to the inactive path by cam 58, and as these are passing the cam 82, this cam is withdrawn. Thus, all of the needles with the exception of those of group 10 are now inactive, and the trailing needle of group 10 is the last to knit in rotary knitting.

As the rotation is completed, the dropper pick 72 is moved up to active position, the active needles of group 10 being in the front of the machine below this dropper pick. The machine clutch is shifted from rotary to reciprocatory drive. Cam 58 is withdrawn after it completes the raising of the needles of group 12'.

As will be evident, the conditions are now the sarne as were involved in heel widening, with the exception that the initially active needles during this new reciprocatory knitting are those of group 10 rather than those of group 16, and picking results in the successive net additions to the operating group of needles from groups 12 and 12' rather than from groups 14 and 14'. Since the widening operation is thus the same as that involved in the heel, it need not be again described in detail, the description with reference to FIGURES 4 and 5 applying with the sole difference being in the needles affected as just indicated. In'the case of formation of the toe, however, widening may be optionally continued to bring into action needles of the group 14 and 14'.

If desired, narrowing may also be effected after widening; but this serves no particularly useful purpose, and the two-feed reciprooatory knitting of the toe may terminate when desired widening has been achieved.

The resumption of rotary knitting may take place in the same fashion as has been described with reference to FIGURE 6, all of the inactive needles being restored to action by the cam 80. While not necessary for the further operations immediately following the completion of the toe, the shifting of the machine clutch to rotary knitting may involve at this time the shifting of the needle cylinder 180 back to its original timing with respect to the drive in preparation for the formation of the next stocking. Rotary knitting now continues two-feed to form the loopers courses. However, as described in the Mc- Donough Patent 2,971,358, referred to heretofore, it is desirable to shift to single feed knitting for the formation of a loopers loose course. This single feed knitting may then be continued to form the waste courses terminating the stocking.

FIGURE 7 illustrates the sequence of courses involved in the formation of the heel pocket P, the yarns Y and Y at the two feeds being differentiated. This shows the paths of courses of the two yarns as they occur in the reciprocatory knitting.

As has been stressed, the particular advantage of the present invention is the production of junctions at the sides of the stockings between the reciprocatorally knit sections and the rotary knit sections which do not involve the formation of open loops or eyelets. The particular nature of the concatenations involved at these junctions will be clear from consideration of FIGURE 8 which shows in fragmentary fashion, the junctions formed by four needles during widening and narrowing, widening being at the lower portion of the figure and narrowing at the upper portion. The lines marked N N N and N may be followed through the wales to indicate the wales formed on corresponding needles and particularly the interlockings of the stitches along the junction lines between the rotary and reciprocatory knit areas. As will be clear from the figure, except for the extra 'bights resulting from change of direction in reciprocatory knitting the wales extend across the junction with quite ordinary concatenations of loops; in other words the sequence of courses along a Wale involves what is essentially ordinary sequential looping (without the presence of abnormal stitch formation. If anything, there is merely additional yarn incorporated at the junctions, without the possibility of formation of any open loops.

It will be evident that various details of construction and operation may be modified without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of knitting a circular knit stocking on a circular knitting machine having at least two feeds, a circle of needles, and elements cooperating with the needles for the formation of stitches comprising effecting multiple feed rotary knitting of a foot portion on all of said needles,

effecting multiple feed reciprocatory knitting of a toe portion on a group of adjacent needles while other 30 needles are inactive but hold stitches,

with successive addition of needles to the ends of said vgroup tfrom the inactive needles, thereby to increase successively the number of wales in the courses of said toe portion, and

thereafter restoring all of the needles to action and effecting multiple feed rotary knitting.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising at least two feeds,

a circle of needles,

elements cooperating with the needles for the formation of stitches,

means for efifecting multiple feed knitting of a foot portion of a stocking on all of said needles,

means for effecting multiple feed reciprocatory knitting of a toe portion of the stocking on a group of adjacent needles while other needles are inactive but hold stitches, with successive addition of needles to the ends of said group from the inactive needles to increase successively the number of wales in the courses of said toe portion, and

means for thereafter restoring all of the needles to action and effecting multifeed rotary knitting.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,241 1/1893 Black 66187 686,956 11/1901 Steber 66187 1,592,460 7/1926 Hirner 66187 1,635,712 7/1927 Hirner 66187 2,440,280 4/ 1948 Lawson 6648 2,576,962 12/1951 McDonough 6648 X 2,590,008 3/1952 Grothey et a1. 66187 2,658,365 11/1953 Lawson 6648 2,73 6,177 2/1956 Bristow 6648 X 3,004,418 10/1961 McDonough 66187 3,054,279 9/1962 Crawford 6648 OTHER REFERENCES Kohler, Ger. app. 1,099,686, pub. February 1961.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner.

W. C. REYNOLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF KNITTING A CIRCULAR KNIT STOCKING ON A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHING HAVING AT LEAST TWO FEEDS, A CIRCLE OF NEEDLES, AND ELEMENT COOPERATING WITH NEEDLES FOR THE FORMATION OF STITCHES COMPRISING EFFECTING MULTIPLE FEED ROTARY KNITTING OF A FOOT PORTION ON ALL OF SAID NEEDLES, EFFECTING MULTIPLE FEED RECIPROCATORY KNITTING OF A TOE PORTION ON A GROUP OF ADJACENT NEEDLES WHILE OTHER NEEDLES ARE INACTIVE BUT HOLD STITCHES, WITH SUCCESSIVE ADDITION OF NEEDLES TO THE ENDS OF SAID GROUP FROM THE INACTIVE NEEDLES, THEREBY TO INCREASE SUCCESSIVELY THE NUMBER OF WALVES IN THE COURSES OF SAID TOE PORTION, AND THEREAFTER RESTORING ALL OF THE NEEDLES TO ACTION AND EFFECTING MULTIPLE FEED ROTARY KNITTING. 